From September 1st, autumn public transport schedules will come into effect in Vilnius – 633 buses and trolleybuses will hit the streets, with increased frequency on some routes to better connect the rapidly growing city districts. The changes have been planned taking into account passenger flows and the projected demand for autumn travel.
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Every year before the new season, JUDU analyzes passenger flows, assesses city growth trends, and forecasts future public transport demand. This year, it is planned that about 226 million trips will be made using Vilnius public transport. Considering the increasing passenger flows and aiming to ensure smooth movement in the city during the busiest autumn period, the number of public transport vehicles will be higher than in previous years.
Public transport will run more frequently in autumn
The autumn schedules foresee that 633 public transport vehicles will operate daily on Vilnius streets – 18% more than during the summer period. Compared to summer, 46 additional buses and 49 additional trolleybuses will hit the streets.
Public transport services will be provided by three city carriers: UAB “Vilniaus viešasis transportas” will operate 512 vehicles, with the remainder operated by “Kautra” and “Transrevis.”
“September in Vilnius always means increased movement – schoolchildren and students return to the city, residents return to their usual rhythm after holidays, so the demand for public transport also rises. I am glad that solutions have been found to properly meet this demand. We plan schedules not only considering the start of the season but also real passenger flows and how the city itself is changing. This autumn, we are increasing the number of vehicles, increasing trip frequency, and adjusting routes where we see the greatest need,” says Vilnius Deputy Mayor Andrius Grigonis.
More frequent routes are planned in densely populated residential districts such as Fabijoniškės, Perkūnkiemis, Baltupiai, Šiaurės miestelis, Lazdynėliai.
“For the autumn season, we plan the public transport network based on real passenger flows and projected demand. We assess where the city is growing fastest, which routes have the largest passenger flows, and at what times of day more transport is needed. The goal is that the increasing demand for public transport means not longer waiting times for passengers, but more frequent and reliable connections,” says JUDU director Loreta Levulytė-Staškevičienė.
More convenient public transport to schools
In September, special attention is also given to schoolchildren’s journeys. Public transport routes and trip times are adapted to the school schedule so that students can reach schools more conveniently in the morning and return home after classes.
At the beginning of September, it is especially important to ensure that the journey to school is predictable and comfortable. Therefore, JUDU evaluated not only general passenger flows but also students’ travel times – when classes start, when they end, and in which districts the greatest demand arises.
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This autumn, additional attention is also given to those school communities whose daily routine will temporarily change due to school renovations and relocations to other premises. Such changes will affect more than 1,000 students, so together with Vilnius city municipality and schools, we are assessing in advance how their travel directions and flows will change. Based on real demand, we adapt public transport routes, trip times, or other transport solutions so that the temporary change of school location causes as little additional daily travel inconvenience as possible for students and their families.
More frequent trips during peak periods
Autumn schedules also increase the frequency of some routes. Express routes will run on average every 5–10 minutes, main city routes every 10–25 minutes, and feeder routes connecting residential districts with main public transport lines every 25–65 minutes. Electric boats will operate daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. in September.
Night public transport will also operate in autumn
Public transport services in Vilnius will not end late in the evening. Night buses in autumn, as in the warm season, will run on nights from Friday to Saturday and from Saturday to Sunday – every 30 minutes from midnight.
The last trips from the city center to neighborhoods depart around 4 a.m., and shortly after, the first daytime route buses hit the streets.
Night public transport remains popular year-round. In 2025, about 120,000 passengers traveled on night routes on average, and on weekends during one night – about 2,600 passengers on average.
The most popular night routes are N1 Center–Antakalnis–Saulėtekis, N3 Center–Žirmūnai–Baltupiai–Santariškės, and N4 Center–Kalvarijų–S. Stanevičiaus St.–Pašilaičiai.
More space for public transport on the streets
Smoother public transport journeys in autumn will also be supported by changes in city infrastructure. The A lane network continues to expand in Vilnius – currently, the city has 46.1 km of A lanes. These allow public transport to avoid some car traffic jams and reach destinations faster during peak times. Public transport priority at intersections is also ensured by a white arrow, allowing buses and trolleybuses to move in their designated direction and merge into traffic flow faster.
Traffic light operation modes are also being updated in Vilnius, and smart traffic management systems are being implemented. In 2026, 56 traffic light operation changes have already been made to improve intersection coordination, smoother traffic flow, and greater traffic safety.
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